Laser ablation for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to utilizing laser ablation to selectively remove regions of active material from lithium-ion battery electrodes during production, forming channels. These channels may improve the radius of curvature of the lithium-ion battery, form patterns on the surface of the electrode to store excess electrolyte, provide improved access to external sources of lithium during pre-lithiation or re-lithiation, and/or lower the tortuosity of electrodes for enhanced ion transfer between electrodes during cycling in prismatic cells and cylindrical cells.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a lithium-ion battery comprising:
 an electrode having a channel; wherein: 
   the electrode comprises a length, a width, and a thickness,   the channel extends into a first portion of the length of the electrode,   the channel extends into a second portion of the width of the electrode, and   the channel extends into a third portion of the thickness of the electrode.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 ,
 the first portion is between 5 μm and 50 μm.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second portion is between 5 μm and 50 μm.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second portion is approximately equivalent to the width of the electrode.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the third portion is between 5 μm and 50 μm.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the third portion is less than 100 μm.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an electrolyte; wherein:   a portion of the electrolyte is present in the channel.   
     
     
         8 . A method for improving the performance of a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising:
 forming a channel in an electrode of the lithium-ion battery using a laser source configured to emit a beam; wherein:   the beam comprises a size,   the electrode comprises a length, a width, and a thickness,   the channel extends into a first portion of the length of the electrode,   the channel extends into a second portion of the width of the electrode, and   the channel extends into a third portion of the thickness of the electrode.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first portion is approximately equivalent to the size of the beam.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first portion is approximately equivalent to the length.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the second portion is approximately equivalent to the size of the beam.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the second portion is approximately equivalent to the width.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the third portion is approximately equivalent to the size of the beam.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the third portion is less than about 100 μm.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the forming comprises:   pulsing the laser to remove material from the electrode to form the channel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 applying an electrolyte to the electrode; wherein:   during the applying a portion of the electrolyte is present in the channel.   
     
     
         17 . A system for performing laser ablation on an electrode of a lithium-ion battery, the system comprising:
 a laser source configured to emit a beam;   a laser optics; and   a stage configured to hold the electrode; wherein:   the laser optics is configured to direct the beam to perform laser ablation on the electrode which results a channel on the electrode.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the laser source comprises a femtosecond laser. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the laser optics comprises at least one of:   a laser mirror, a laser lens, a laser window, a laser filter, ultrafast optics, laser beam expanders, laser beam splitters, a crystal, an isolator, a speckle reducer, and/or a laser prism.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a gas source; wherein:   the gas source is oriented towards the stage, and   the gas source is configured to remove any debris caused by the laser ablation.